Wagon-brake



(No Model.)

L. STUFBB.

' I WAGON BRAKE.

Patented Jan. 29, 1889. 139ml ME TATES PATENT @rricn.

LUDWIG sTiiFEE, or OOZADDALE, OHIO.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,780, dated January 29, 1889.

Application filed April 23, 1888. Serial 110,271,556. (N0 model.)

To all 1071 0721 it may concern.-

Be it known that l, liUD wie STUFEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cozaddale, \Varren county, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in *agon- Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wagon-brakes or drags intended to control the momentum of wagons on hillsides, particularly in slippery places or on icy surfaces; and itconsists in the devices hereinafter more fully described, whereby a drag-shoe (one or two) carried by the vehicle may be inserted beneath the main bearing wheel or wheels and restored to their normal position again after use by the act of the driver without dismounting from his seat upon the wagon.

Mechanism en'ibodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wagon with my invention applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of same, and Figs. 4 and 5 detail views of the shoe proper detached.

In many places and under many conditions the locking of wheels against rotation by friction-brakes or chains is insufficient to control the momentum of a loaded wagon on hillsides, and resort is had to a shoe placed under the wheel and held by a rod or chain from the wagon-bed. The latter device, while usually more effective than the ordinary friction-brake, is at present seldom employed, because it requires adjustment by hand, compelling the driver to dismount, &c., which sometimes cannot be permitted. These disadvantages are obviated by my invention by providing the shoe with raising and lowering mechanism by which it may be controlled by the driver, whereby it may be used upon emergency to check a momentum already acquired.

Referring now to the drawings, A designates the wagon-body, and B B its main or rear bearing-wheels, which may be provided with the ordinary brake apparatus, if desired.

The shoe 0 (shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5) is preferably of sheet-iron or steel, somewhat shovelshaped, provided with an eye at its front extension for the attachment of the holding-chain a, and may be provided at its under side with one or more calks or cutters, c, to cut into a slippery or icy surface to increase its holding-power,

Two shoes will be ordinarily employed. These are mounted, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, at the ends, respectively, of a curved bow or holding-brace, D, pivoted centrally by a bracket, as b, to the wagon-bed between its wheels. The bow or brace D is preferably made of light iron or steel rod twisted into a spiral near the outer ends, as at d, to allow some elasticity of action, and riveted to the shoe at a convenient point, as p, Fig. 4c. The bow or brace D forms a carrier retaining the shoes in proper position relatively to the wheels, and by its pivotal action allowing both shoes to be drawn up, as indicated in Fig. 2, to clear the wheels.

The withdrawal of the shoes from the position beneath the wheels, Figs. 1 and 3, to the elevated position out of use, Fig. 2, is eifected by a winding-shaft, E, held in bearings across the wagon-body a convenient distance in front of the wheels 13, upon which the chains a are wound by a rotation imparted by a crank-shaft, e, carrying a bevelpinion, f, engaging a similar pinion, g, upon the winding-shaft E, or in any other convenient manner. The shaft 6 is carried forward in bearings upon the side of the wagon, and is provided with a hand-crank, 71, arranged convenient to the drivers seat in front.

The operation is as follows: The parts being in non-operative position, as shown in Fig. 2, the driver turns the crank h backward, thus rotating the driving-shaft E by means of the shaft e and pinions f g, and unwinding the chains a. The shoes 0 then drop by gravity, and are guided by the pivoted how 1) to the posit-ion shown in Fig. 1, beneath the wheels B. The chains, being paid out, hold the shoes firmly in this position, and the latter, being thus interposed between the wheels B and the ground, form a drag-brake of a resistance proportioned to the load of the wagon.

It will be obvious that in many cases but one shoe will be required, in which case one ingthe drag-shoes from the ground out of en- 15 half of the bow or carrier and one chain may gag'cment with the wheels, substantially as be omitted. set forth.

I claim as my invention and desire to se- 2. The combination, in a wagon-brake, of 5 cure by Letters Patent of the United States the bowed carrier D, shoes C C, chains a a,

1. The combination, with a wagon, of a bowwinding-shaft E, crank-shaft e, and gears f g, 20 carrier pivoted between the imaring-whccls substantially as set forth. and having spring terminals or extensions, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set drag-shoes pivotally hung upon such tcrmimy hand in the presence of two subscribing 1o nals, chains connecting each shoe with the witnesses.

wagon-body forward of the bearing-wheels, LUD\VIG ST L FEE. and a winding-shaft constituting the forward Witnesses:

holding element of said chain upon the L. M. IIOsEA,

wagon-body for winding said chain and lift- L. E. IIOSEA. 

